New Book Day
by Asynca
Summary: Jaina had been looking forward to spending some quality time alone with a brand new book. Before she can lose herself in it, however, she's ambushed by Vereesa Windrunner who has an unsettling proposition for her. F/F


Since Theramore, Sunday had been new book day for Jaina. All the orders and deliveries she'd received during the week quietly piled up on her desk, waiting until Sunday to finally be privately unwrapped, spread flat across the table and hungrily devoured from cover to cover. Jaina looked forward to it all week; book day meant tea, cookies, and dozens of new ideas with plenty of solitude and headspace to consider them all.

When the weather was mild and the wind was low—just as it was today—she moved her desk outside onto her private balcony. She spent far too much time inside, after all. The Kul Tiran sea air and sunlight would do her good.

She was just relaxing into her chair and settling comfortably into _Studies in Mass Temporal Shift_ _Errors _when a man cleared his throat from her balcony door. "I'm sorry to disturb you today, m' lady, but you have a very insistent visitor." It was one of her personal guards, and he looked very apologetic.

Jaina looked up, frowning. Despite his expression, she was a little irritated; she'd barely made it past the first page. Still, her visitor must have been very insistent and probably quite important to have made it through three layers of personal guards. That alone warranted an audience, as unhappy as she was about it. "Very well, show them in."

He nodded and stood aside, revealing a slight blond woman in a lovely new dress behind him. In her arms, she was carefully holding an ornate box.

Jaina recognised her immediately and her irritation melted away in half an instant. "Vereesa! What a surprise!" Abandoning her book, she stood, taking a few strides over and briefly embracing her, careful to avoid knocking the box to the ground. "It's so good to see you again! What brings you to Boralus?"

Vareesa tracked the guard in her peripheral vision until he'd saluted and shown himself out. Once he was gone, she relaxed and turned her attention back to Jaina. "You, of course." She gave Jaina a beautiful smile.

As beautiful as it was, her answer was… unexpected. Although perhaps it shouldn't have been, because Vereesa had always been very forthright. "Well," Jaina said, recovering herself. "That is very flattering to hear. I suppose that means I should be a good host and offer you some tea?"

Vereesa's smile deepened. "Thank you. I imagine you weren't expecting to host someone today."

Jaina chuckled. "No, I wasn't," she said honestly, wondering if Vereesa would explain.

Fortunately, she did. "The Kirin Tor will generally grant me favours, but I didn't want them ferrying me backwards and forwards while I tried to pick a day you're be in residence _and_ alone," explained, setting her box gently on the edge of the desk. "So, I thought I might as well risk a Sunday, because at least I knew you'd be home. If it's any consolation, I didn't come empty handed…" Her fingers were on the box, and there was a smugness about the smile pulling at her lips.

That made Jaina very curious about the contents. "You didn't?"

She shook her head and unlatched it. "I remembered your penchant for cookies with your tea, so I thought I'd apologise for interrupting you by bringing you these." With a great deal of ceremony, she lifted the lid, eyes trained on Jaina's face.

Inside, there was a proverbial dragon's hoard of beautiful, perfectly-sculpted cookies. There were so many shapes and colours, so many different doughs and fillings that it would have taken Vereesa hours upon hours to bake and decorate each lot separately. She'd obviously gone to a great deal of trouble to make them and, like everything about Vereesa, they were almost ethereally pretty.

It was too much. "Vereesa, those look too pretty to eat," Jaina confessed, almost afraid even to touch them. "They belong on a mantlepiece somewhere. Or in an art gallery."

Veressa swelled with the praise, again looking ever so slightly smug. She obviously knew very well how pretty they were. "Just wait until you taste them!" she told Jaina. "I chose flavours I remember you saying you _love_."

She made them specifically for Jaina? "That's—thoughtful of you," Jaina said, but felt that unease again. "I can't wait to try them. Please, won't you sit?" She gestured at her desk where a chair appeared beside hers.

Accepting it, Vereesa placed her cookies beside Jaina's seat at the desk and swept her dress under her in an elegant movement. As Jaina sat across from her and conjured her a cup of tea, she noticed Vereesa's eyes dart down her own body for a moment, assessing herself. Obviously seeing something she wasn't happy with, she adjusted her position in the chair, leaning further forward as she accepted the cup and saucer from Jaina. A generous amount of her cleavage spilt out of the neckline of her dress as she did so.

Jaina noticed it because it would have been difficult not to. Vereesa had never been shy about her body and had always rather enjoyed showing it off, but today seemed rather a deviation from her usual trick of just outdressing others at parties. Her whole visit seemed rather a deviation, in fact: she'd shown up at Jaina's home on a day she'd known Jaina would be alone, with cookies she would have spent simply hours baking, and she'd gone to the trouble of wearing a revealing dress and was very purposefully trying to make sure Jaina got an eyeful of the contents of it. All of this was very deliberate.

It troubled Jaina. She tried to tell herself that it needn't, though. After all, perhaps Vereesa was just feeling a little down and wanted to be told what a thoughtful and talented cook she was, and that she was still beautiful?

Jaina tested that theory. "That's a simply lovely dress, Vereesa. It really suits you. Is it new?"

Instead of brightening from the praise as one might do if one were feeling a little sad, Vereesa's red lips pulled into a dark, secret grin. "It is," she said, preening for a moment. "Do you like it on me, Jaina?"

Cup at her lips, Jaina froze.

She was grateful for it being there, because otherwise she might have spat her tea into the air. There really was no mistaking the implication of that: this was a seduction. Not that it was that odd a prospect in itself; she'd spent enough time in Dalaran to have witnessed the… _proclivities_ of elves. It had shocked her initially how freely they all moved in and out of each other's bedchambers, seemingly unbothered by the gender of their bedmates. She wasn't shocked anymore—at least, not about the fact they were both women. It was just that this was _Vereesa. _Vereesa who'd been in love with Rhonin. The prospect of Vereesa soliciting anyone who wasn't him was truly unsettling.

A hand on her knee made her jump as if it were a spider. "Jaina?"

Jaina tried to smother her panic. "Forgive me," she implored, putting her tea aside before she inevitably spilt it all over her lap and hew new books. "I was just a little distracted."

There was that smile again. "I'm sure you were," she said, thinking she knew why. She was so sure in fact, that she lifted her hand from Jaina's knee—giving Jaina momentary relief—and reached into the cookie box. Without looking away from Jaina she selected one of them and held it out to her.

There was nothing for Jaina to do but put her hand out to accept it.

"it's my special recipe," Vereesa told her. "Try it. I think you'll love the flavour." Her hand lingered on Jaina's a moment.

Vereesa was clearly waiting with bated breath for her to put it in her mouth.

Jaina sat there for a moment, panicking; she had an awful feeling that eating this cookie would be treated as some sort of metaphor. If it passed her lips, she expected Vereesa would interpret it as a green light, and then the floodgates would open and Vereesa would be immediately all over her insisting try all sorts of other special flavours.

The thought made Jaina's blood run cold. Ordinarily, she'd just threaten anyone who made an unwelcome advance. Threaten, or harshly insult. She'd done it many times before. But this was _Vereesa_: someone she cared for. She wasn't sure how to fend off Vereesa in a way that wouldn't hurt her and potentially ruin their friendship. Jaina had precious few friends as it was, and she treasured that Vereesa was one of them. It couldn't end like this. She'd have to say something.

Exhaling at length, Jaina carefully placed the beautiful cookie on the table between herself and Vereesa. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you, Vereesa."

To her dismay, she watched Vereesa's eyes widen and her ears droop. "But I baked them especially for—"

"You know what I mean." She locked eyes with Vereesa to make sure Vereesa understood. Vereesa watched her for a moment, her ears drooping further. Her disappointment was palpable. Looking upon her, Jaina felt like she'd kicked a puppy.

Vereesa plucked the cookie from the table and cradled it close to her, finally taking her eyes off Jaina and looking down at it. It was a little while and a long period of awkward silence before she spoke. "I'm not very good at this, am I?"

Jaina winced. "It's not that…"

Vereesa had already decided it _was _that. "I'm so out of practice. Rhonin was the last person I seduced."

"I'm sure he loved it," _in a way I never could_, Jaina wanted to add.

She brightened. "He did!" Her smile faded almost immediately, however. "Not that it matters, anymore."

Jaina felt a rock form in her stomach. "Vereesa, I'm so sorry."

Vereesa nodded to accept her apology, and then sighed deeply, deflating as she did so. "At least eat my cookies?" she asked, that sorrowful tone Jaina had heard so much since Theramore creeping into her voice. "I rose before dawn this morning to finish them." She held out the cookie towards Jaina.

This time, Jaina accepted it from her; it was the least she could do. No longer worried Vereesa would end up in her lap if she took a bite, she did: the crisp frosting cracked lightly under her teeth, giving way to soft shortbread and a perfect mix of fresh jam and cream. It was small enough that it wasn't cloyingly sweet, but big enough so she could distinguish each individual flavour. There was certainly an art to this, and Vereesa was truly a master of it. "It's delicious," she promised Vereesa as soon as she'd finished her mouthful. "It's really your own recipe?"

Vereesa nodded once, looking hopeful. "Do you like it?"

"Very much," Jaina promised, and then made good on that by finish the cookie.

Vereesa pushed the box towards her. "Eat more?" she offered. "Perhaps you'll find they're… to your taste after all."

Jaina had been reaching for another cookie, but stopped as Vereesa said that.

"I just thought, well, since you're looking for a woman, we've known each other for quite some—"

_Since you're looking for— "What_?!" Jaina stopped her. "I'm looking for a _woman_—?" she clarified, her fair eyebrows in her white hairline. "Where on earth did you hear that?"

Vereesa looked confused. "Alleria said you told her you were through with men," she said, sounding meek again. "Was it a falsehood?"

_Oh_… Jaina sat back, and she couldn't prevent herself from laughing nervously. "I meant I wasn't interested in anymore relationships at all for the time being! Not that I'm—" She swallowed. "Well, I didn't mean _that_. I'm not like that."

Vereesa's face went a deep crimson, so much so that it matched her beautiful new dress and made her blue eyes stand out even more brightly from her skin. "Oh…" She put her hands on her hot cheeks. She spent a moment looking down her body at her new dress. "I must look such a fool to you. It didn't even occur to me at all that's not what you meant."

Jaina could feel a blush on her own cheeks, too. "Please don't say that, it's just a misunderstanding," she pleaded, feeling horribly foolish herself. Is that what Alleria thought she'd meant? It must have been, for Alleria to have had a conversation about it to Vereesa. And now Vereesa was here, all dressed up and—seducing her. _Her_: Jaina Proudmoore. She would have thought most intelligent people would have disavowed themselves of that notion a long time ago, especially someone who knew her as well as Vereesa did.

It was so bizarre, she almost felt she had to clarify. "You went to all this effort to seduce me?" Vereesa gave her a forlorn nod. "_Me_?" She nodded again. "But everyone always finds me so—"

"Cold?" Vereesa offered.

Jaina winced. "I was going to go a step further than that. But yes." Still. "_Me_? Vereesa, look at you: you're beautiful. If you're thinking about trying again, surely there's a better match for you than someone who has a horrible temper and who'd usually prefer the company of books to people most of the time?"

A tiny little smile crept onto Vereesa's lips. "I've been with mages before, remember," she said. She didn't seem as put off by that as she should be. "I just thought—well, we're both single, so when Alleria told me you were looking for a woman, it seemed like a perfect solution. We used to get along so well and the twins love you. You'd make a wonderful companion, and I'm tired of trying to meet new people; Dalaran is so horribly insular these days. You'd be perfect. So, I baked all these cookies, bought a new dress, and came to visit."

Jaina listened, feeling completely spun. It all sounded so clinical.

Vereesa noticed her expression. "Why the frown?"

"You're speaking about becoming companions in the same manner as you'd choose a business partner."

Vereesa looked surprised for a moment, and then laughed at that. "I suppose I am! There's not another way for me anymore, I don't think," she confessed. Then, that familiar tragedy crept back into her voice. "I had my passionate, wild love affair when I was younger. It burnt just as bright and hot as Rhonin himself did, but he's gone now, and I think the part of me who dreams of passionate love affairs and giddy romance died along with him. If I can't have that with Rhonin, I don't want it with anyone else." Her pretty lips quivered a little; she pressed them together for a moment to hide it. "I do want company, though. I miss it. But I also don't have the energy to meet a dozen new people in the hope that I may have enough in common with one of them. There are people I already care for and who I already feel at ease with. Making a deliberate choice seems far more appropriate nowadays."

Jaina considered that. It was certainly a relief to hear that Vereesa hadn't been pining for her—that would have made her feel even more the horrible villain that she already felt. It was also a relief to hear Vereesa wasn't head over heels in love with her when she herself felt nothing at all.

What made her uncomfortable, however, was just how much some of what Vereesa was saying resonated with her. She'd long felt that her dreams of being carried off into the sunset had died when she'd realised what Arthas had done. Her relationship with Kalec had suffered for her always feeling like something was missing _without _that 'giddy' head-over-heels passion—not that it would have worked between them, anyway. She remembered how broken she'd felt with Kalec; how she felt there was no fire in her anymore. She felt empty of passion and alone in that relationship, even when he was on top of her.

And here Vereesa was, proposing that passion _wasn't _a necessary ingredient for every relationship. At least, not at first.

It had never occurred to Jaina to start a relationship with someone she wasn't attracted to just because there were many other things they had in common—but the more she thought on it, the more it seemed like an intelligent, wise and rational choice. After all, it wasn't the lack of fire that had ended her and Kalec, it was other irreconcilable differences between them.

The whole idea of making a rational, informed decision to start a relationship with someone unsettled her, though. Surely it wouldn't be the same?

…Then again, did she _want _the same? Did she want another Arthas or another Kalec? Hadn't she decided that didn't work for her?

It was a lot to consider, too much for one afternoon. She'd need time to think on it.

Knowing it would please Vereesa if she did so, she selected another cookie from the box. "Forgive me for changing to subject," she said, hoping eating another of her cookies would make up for it, "but may I ask what news you have of Dalaran? The council don't exactly have me on their mailing list, and I'm sure I heard they were thinking of moving the city again."

Vereesa paused for a moment, clearly not finished with their previous discussion. Jaina silently begged her to let the matter rest, and eventually, she did. "You did hear that, they are discussing a move. Closer to here, actually," she said. "We're rather exposed in the Broken Isles, and since that offensive has finished, there's a lot of discussion about where we might be positioned next." She smiled, despite herself. "My boys are hoping we end up somewhere closer to a nice beach, and I'm inclined to agree. I miss living by the coast."

It had been so long since they'd seen each other, and so much had transgressed since the last time they'd sat together over tea that there was much to catch up on. Jaina had forgotten how much she missed Vereesa's fiery opinions—especially when she decided someone had wronged Jaina—and just how eager Vereesa always was to try and offer comfort, support, and bloody revenge.

Soon, Jaina had forgotten all about the failed seduction and Vereesa's offer, and they had their heads together for what must have been two or three hours, trying to nut out how best to manage the fractures forming in both the Horde and Alliance. Vereesa didn't have her sister Alleria's patient and restrained approach to battle, and while Jaina secretly thought that patience was probably the best option for the Alliance at this point, it was a breath of fresh air listening to Vereesa give impassioned speeches about the folly of waiting for a perfect opportunity to attack. It was especially entertaining hearing such violence come out of the painted mouth of someone dressed so daintily and prettily.

Eventually, just as Jaina was wondering if perhaps she shouldn't order them a proper midday meal from downstairs, Vereesa sat up un her chair and smoothed her dress down with a degree of finality. "Well," she began with that same tone in her voice, "it _is _your new book day. I probably let you return to them."

Jaina felt her heart sink. She was leaving already? "Nonsense! I can read books any day. I haven't seen you for years. Shall I order us some lunch?"

Standing, Vereesa seemed unswayed. "I'll make some for myself at home," she promised. Then, she spent a moment considering her next question. "Can I… give you something to think about before I leave, Jaina?" She made eye contact with her.

At the reminder of what happened earlier, Jaina's shoulders tightened. "Please don't."

Vereesa flinched. "You'll have to trust me when I say you won't dislike it."

Jaina watched her. That wasn't much reassurance, given Vereesa's misunderstanding earlier. However, Vereesa _was _a good friend and other than her failed seduction, she'd always read Jaina rather well. "Alright," she said cautiously, making sure Vereesa knew she was uncomfortable. "I trust you."

Vereesa's ears perked a little, and she walked slowly and carefully behind Jaina as if she was afraid she'd startle her. Then, when she was standing directly behind the chair, she put her hands on the flesh of Jaina's shoulders. Even though she'd been expecting to be touched, Jaina still jumped a little. Vereesa waited until she'd settled and then, at great length and leisure, her thumbs slowly began to work out the knots in Jaina's muscles.

_Thank the Light_, Jaina thought, sighing with relief not from the massage but from the fact it _was_ just a massage. She had been rather afraid Vereesa might try to kiss her. It was a relief Vereesa had better judgment than that.

A massage wasn't unwelcome, though, and Jaina never realised how tense she was until someone was trying to smooth it out from her. Arthas had always joked about how tense and serious she could be; Kalec had taken it very personally that he was never able to properly relax her. There didn't seem to be a goal in Vereesa's attentions beyond doing something to her that she'd enjoy; and there was a lack of presumption about that which made the massage genuinely pleasant. At least, it would have been pleasant if she hadn't been worrying about her previous relationships all the way through it and hardly paying it a moment of attention.

When it ended, she was disappointed she hadn't. She almost wanted to ask Vereesa to continue so she could properly enjoy it this time.

Vereesa patted her shoulders gently, and then dropped a chaste but affectionate kiss on the top of Jaina's head. As she did so, her arms briefly dropped around Jaina's shoulders in a loose hug, and then stepped back from her. "Does that give you something to consider?"

It did, rather. She didn't want to speak on it now, though. "Can I decline to answer that?"

Vereesa laughed and walked around beside Jaina again. "It's much the same, you know. Laying with a man or a woman."

All the knots Vereesa had worked out of Jaina's shoulders immediately returned. "Vereesa, I told you I don't want to have this discussion," she said sharply. Much more sharply than she'd intended. No sooner had she said it, she regretted how harsh it sounded.

Vereesa's eyes widened in panic. "Sorry, I—" She shut her mouth for a moment, looking fiercely angry with herself. "I think I'd best go." She spun on her heel to leave.

That expression would haunt Jaina if she let Vereesa leave now. Standing, she shot a hand out to grab Vereesa's arm. "Stop." Once Vereesa had, she let her arm fall. "I never respond well to being ambushed. Forgive me?"

Vereesa nodded, looking up at the sky a moment. Jaina wondered if she was blinking back tears. If she was, Jaina wasn't to find out. "I should be the one asking for forgiveness. It was a silly, thoughtless thing for me to say anyway. All I was doing was repeating what peopled have said to me."

Jaina frowned. "You were?" she asked. "You've never—?"

Vereesa shook her head. "Just Rhonin, I'm afraid."

That made Jaina's eyebrows rise; the thought of Vereesa coming here to clumsily seduce her without any idea at all about what she'd do during it or afterwards if she succeeded was unfathomable to Jaina. In a million years, she couldn't imagine ever doing anything like that.

"What's that look for? You know it's been hard for me since Rhonin."

"I know," Jaina promised. "It's just that—well, when did you say you spoke to Alleria?"

"Last night."

Jaina balked at that. "_Last night_? And you came here the very next day?"

Vereesa didn't understand. "Shouldn't that be flattering?"

It was, in a way. That wasn't the point. "You've never done anything like this before and you came _the very next day_?"

Vereesa was still blinking at her. "Why would that be such a very strange thing for me to plan to…." Recognition registered on her face. "_Oh_," she said, apparently coming to some understanding. "Oh!" Then, she laughed. "You mean why didn't I take two classes on it, read the entire 'female companionship' section in the Dalaran library and then internally debate the whole issue with myself for months before approaching you?" A tiny smile appeared on her lips.

Jaina went bright red. "That wasn't what I meant," she said, realising that was probably exactly what she'd meant.

As if reading her mind, Vereesa touched her arm. "I feel so foolish for thinking any of _this_ would work," she confessed, gesturing down at her new dress. "You're right, I should have thought more on how I would do it, because I think I know how I should have approached you."

Against her better judgment, Jaina was curious about how that was. "Oh?"

Vereesa's glowing eyes were twinkling. "I'm going to send you a book," she said. "Two books, actually. Once you've read them, I'd be most interested in discussing your thoughts on the subject matter."

Jaina's cheeks were still hot. She was certain she could guess what the subject matter was likely to be.

Vereesa still looked very entertained. "And if the subject _does _interest you, I might even plumb the depths of Dalaran's library to see what else I can find."

Jaina could scarcely imagine having _that _conversation with the librarian. "Choose wisely," Jaina told her with more humour than she'd intended. "That's your competition." She nodded down at the cover of _Studies in Mass Temporal Shift_ _Errors. _

Vereesa inclined her head to read the cover. Once she had, she looked thoroughly unimpressed. "Mine are better, I promise," she told Jaina. That smug grin was back. "And after you've read them cover to cover and had plenty of time to pour over the contents, you can invite me over to discuss it." She added a little cheekily, "Perhaps _you _can even educate _me_." Before Jaina had a moment to process any of that, she gave Jaina another warm hug, and then let herself be shown out.

Once Vereesa had gone and Jaina _had _processed it, it was the death knell for any of hope of her making it past chapter one of _Studies in Mass Temporal Shift_ _Errors_. She could scarcely think of anything else except Vereesa's visit. She did, however, eat far more cookies than she planned to—her fingers kept nervously finding them as she dwelt on their conversation.

She was worried about the contents of those books—ridiculous, really. She'd read bawdy books before and been completely unbothered by them, and she very much doubted that anything Vereesa would supply her was likely to be tasteless. In fact, if they were Vereesa's books, the opposite was more likely to be true.

_What if I enjoy them_? she found herself wondering, and then allowed herself to briefly imagine what a life as Vereesa's companion might be like.

Jaina's long absences wouldn't be a problem; Rhonin was just as absent and just as introverted as Jaina was. It was one of the reasons they'd go on so well. Jaina had also very much liked Vereesa's boys when they were younger, even if from Vereesa's stories they appeared to be growing up just as fiery and just as passionate as Vereesa herself was.

_'Passionate'_, Jaina thought, dwelling on that description of her. Briefly, Jaina wondered what laying with Vereesa would be like. It was too confronting a thought, though, it made her throat constrict and her brain fog up in panic. Not that she didn't care for Vereesa a great deal, but—no. Not now, she couldn't think of that now. She pushed that thought somewhere far away from her. There were other things about Vereesa to consider.

Vereesa had been an attentive wife to Rhonin. Attentive, and devoted. She seemed to relish the role of 'wife'; something Jaina had come to realise in recent years she could never play. Many times, Jaina had watched Vereesa bring Rhonin food while he was buried in study, or fix his hair, or bring him a blanket when he'd fallen asleep over his books. She'd already pitched that part of herself to Jaina: baking special cookies for Jaina, knowing Jaina enjoyed having some on hand on new book day. Curiously, it dawned on Jaina that having someone play 'wife' to her wasn't an entirely unacceptable prospect. She hadn't been doted on for a moment of her adult life. If she knew she couldn't _be _a wife, was it such a foreign concept for her to have one of her own, instead?

It definitely warranted some deeper thought, she decided, and then promised herself to dedicate some deeper thought to it at a later time when she _didn't _have a new book all about temporal shift disasters to chew through.

'A later time' turned out to be for the rest of the day, however. Until the sun disappeared over Stormsong peaks, Jaina sat hunched at the desk, staring directly at an open book and far too distracted to read a single word on any of the pages.


End file.
